Which I think is the right thing for Labour, and I'll explain why. But first, I'll get you across what has happened.
They made the call today in a nearly two-hour caucus meeting. It was supposed to wrap up at 2pm this afternoon, but it ran all the way until quarter past 3.
Clearly there was more to discuss than they thought. It could be that they were debating what to do with the leadership, could be that some people were cross in there- or it could just be something as simple as taking longer to farewell their departing colleagues, who knows.
But when he emerged, the faces were drawn. People were not happy, they were looking really sad. And he emerged without a full-throated endorsement of his caucus.
Basically, they haven't decided that they actually like him, they've just deferred making a decision to another day. They did not hold a vote today, there wasn't a challenge today, they've decided to leave it until after the special votes are counted and they know their full caucus.
It doesn't sound like the Labour caucus are all stoked with Chippy. There are multiple reports already that say there are Labour MPs who blame him for the result on Saturday night, because he made the calls on things like ruling out a wealth tax, they think that lost them the election.
And he definitely didn't bring all of his energy at the start. One insider has reportedly described him as 'f***ing useless'.
Having said all that- they made the right call to leave him in the job.
Because they don't need the next Prime Minister in that job right now, they need someone who can do opposition well.
They need someone who can have a crack at the Nats and ACT in Question Time, who can run a good attack line through the media, who knows how opposition works, who knows how to run a team.
Chris Hipkins can do all of these things. There are others in there, like Grant Robertson, who can do them as well, if not better- but they are on their way out.
They're clearly going to leave, and they need some senior experience. Chris Hipkins brings that.
The Labour Party rules require that they do make a decision in three months from now. Even then, it might be too early to toss Chris Hipkins out because leadership battles are ugly.
And I reckon they might just need time to steady the ship and recover from the trauma of what happened on Saturday night to actually think straight and make a call.
Chippy's clearly not their next Prime Minister- but for now, he's the right leader.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show.
8 comments:
If Labour choose a maori leader the party as it has been known wil be doomed. I consider the election loss was due the public at last being able to express through the confidentail vote, without fear of cancellation, their long suppressed dissatisfaction with indulgent undemocratic pro maori race based policy.
Really Heather??
Have you already forgotten what this outfit did to we the people over the last six years.
They need to self destruct in 3 2 1.
If some Labour MPs think it was not promoting a wealth tax that lost them the election then they are completely out of touch and also they can't add up.
Both Greens and Maori Party were running on a wealth/high tax platform. Between the three of them they still fall well short.
If Labour want any chance of resurrection they should ask those who thought co-governance was the major factor to stand up. Then ditch the clowns who remain seated. That should pretty much wipe out the whole lot of them.
No doubt the original plan was 1. Ardern to push the CG/HP agenda as far as possible - then go; 2. Hipkins to win the election - then go; and 3. a Maori PM to complete CG/ HP.
How long will NZ take to wake up to the basic problem that our democracy is under attack?
It will be Ginny Anderson fir their nxt leader, the left emotively seem to ‘love’ her even though she’s extremely irritating to listen to by all others she’s aggressive and she enjoys the media and their msm supports her. Labour have also branded her as less radical/woke than the others the centre-left public have now rejected as they will need to rebrand themselves from arderns woke ‘champagne socialist’ back to the ‘old-school working-class’ brand. Shes a typical white perceived working-class female. She embodies the typical labour premise for their main leaders.
Under all Labours strategic leadership premises and last yrs happenings they will position Ginny Anderson as party leader for nxt year once they and their constituents election-shock has passed.
Should Ginny Anderson be promoted to leader it will ensure Labours continued demise.
Like the majority of the Labour Party's most recent Cabinet she has virtually no experience working in private enterprise or running a business. Think Ardern , Robertson , Hipkins , Woods, Little . Government departments , the Labour Party or the Unions.
Hardly the background to run a country in an increasingly competitive world.
And like the rest of the Labour Party ,the charisma of a fish !
An interesting echo chamber the Labourites must live in through their bribery of mainstream media (MSM). MSM have been so careful to play down the most significant factors leading to Labour's election pummeling (i.e. racist policies, dishonesty, failure to achieve, lack of mandate for many of the initiatives that were not mentioned prior to the last election, profligate spending on all manner of things that won't solve underlying problems - such as motel accommodation for beneficiaries, contempt for individual rights over what goes into our bodies) that the battered Labourites seem to remain blind to them.
Sure, the cost of living will have been a factor, but less so. Ruling out 'wealth tax' may have lost Labour some of the more radical socialist purveyors of envy politics who moved over to the Greens and Te Patty Maori, but the factors listed above will have motivated much of the huge voting shift to less Marxist parties.
It's interesting that Labour's prioritization of Maori power and privileges has not resulted in much electoral gratitude from Maori. Ardern's plan appeared to be to secure lasting loyalty from the Maori elite she empowered and enriched who would then encourage their flock to return to their historical support for Labour. Being assured of the majority of a 15% bloc of voters from the outset would make it quite difficult to shift an incumbent government. But banking on such gratitude, reciprocity or loyalty turned out to be misguided. Prime Minister Luxon would do well to remember that.
Incidentally, Wikipedia provides the name 'Nahinara' as an translation of National. The ideological beavers have been busy spreading propaganda about New Zealand even before it is spread here. So it looks like 'Te Patty Nahinara' (with inconvenient diacritics added) promises to be the next thing our MSM will use to patronize us with.
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